Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Petunaxc3x97hybrida cultivar Wespevan.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petuniaxc3x97hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Wespevanxe2x80x99.
The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany. The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor of a proprietary Petunia selection identified as 99 P 87, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Petunia selection identified as 99 P 93, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia was selected by the Inventor in 2000 in a controlled environment in Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany since 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Wespevan have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Wespevanxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Wespevanxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Petunia cultivar:
1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit.
3. Short internodes, dense and bushy growth habit.
4. Freely flowering habit.
5. Single salverform light yellow-colored flowers with light green to yellow-colored venation.
Plants of the new Petunia are more outwardly spreading, have smaller flowers and darker yellow-colored flowers than plants of the female parent, the selection 99 P 87. Plants of the new Petunia have darker green-colored leaves and darker yellow-colored flowers than plants of the male parent, the selection 99 P 93.
Plants of the cultivar Wespevan can be compared to plants of the Petunia cultivar Lemon Plum, not patented. However in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany, plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Lemon Plum differed in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Petunia were more upright than plants of the cultivar Lemon Plum.
2. Plants of the new Petunia were more compact and had shorter internodes than plants of the cultivar Lemon Plum.
3. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller and darker green-colored leaves than plants of the cultivar Lemon Plum.
4. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller flowers than plants of the cultivar Lemon Plum.
5. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller sepals than plants of the cultivar Lemon Plum.
Plants of the cultivar Wespevan can also be compared to plants of the Petunia cultivar Lime, not patented. However in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany, plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Lime differed in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Petunia were more upright than plants of the cultivar Lime.
2. Plants of the new Petunia were more compact and had shorter internodes than plants of the cultivar Lime.
3. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller leaves than plants of the cultivar Lime.
4. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller flowers than plants of the cultivar Lime.
5. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller sepals than plants of the cultivar Lime.